Bilingual vs. Bicultural
#1&DONE 1 CommentSome of my thoughts after reading Susan Eaton’s Dual Immersion article and the article on Utah’s forward thinking bilingual educational system…
Bilingual means that a person can speak two languages. Being bicultural means that a person crosses into a different cultures, using language as a tool for “fostering friendships and working relationships across cultures and ultimately for playing a role in sustaining a peaceful, pluralistic society” (How We Learned Our Lesson, Eaton).
It seems to me that the goal of a well-rounded, inclusive education should be this more global approach of helping students become bicultural. We need to consciously elevate cultures within schools to achieve this goal. It needs to be more than food and festivals.
Grainne Murray
I couldn’t agree more with you Kara! The only way to help students understand other cultures is through immersion in those cultures. Field trips to restaurants and pen-pal experiences with students from other countries – these are the experiences that expose our student to the idea of multiculturalism and globalization that they might not otherwise experience.